Olympics spurs interest in bikes – report

Halfords reports that its bike website was visited over half a million times during the Paris games.

Halfords says there has been an increase in demand for bikes following the Paris Olympic games (Halfords/PA) (PA Media)

Demand for bikes has soared following Britain’s strong performance in the Olympic cycling events in Paris, new research suggests.

Retail giant Halfords said that over the course of the games in Paris, its bike website was visited over half a million times, 12% more than in the run-up to the events.

Searches for models such as a BMX saw bigger increases, while interest in women’s bikes generally, rose by 25% compared to 15% for men, said Halfords.

We saw a very clear spike in demand for bikes over the course of the games in Paris

Katie Begley, head of cycling at Halfords

Katie Begley, head of cycling at Halfords, said: “We saw a very clear spike in demand for bikes over the course of the games in Paris.

“As the largest bike retailer in the UK, an increase of 12% – and up to a quarter in some categories – is very significant.

“It’s clear the increase was down to the games, as the categories we saw the largest rises in were those prominently featured in television coverage over the period.”